Auckland Island boar with piglet (Photo by Gail Simons)

Auckland Island Pigs

Breed Standard

Seventeen feral pigs were rescued from Auckland Island in 1999 prior to their eradication by the Department of Conservation. The following Breed Standard was compiled for the Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand and is dated 15 April 2007.

TYPE: Wild feral. Type may change with domestic breeding and feeding ie. back end, less hair, etc.

SIZE: Adult liveweight: boars 70-100 kg, sows 60-70 kg.

HEAD: Face long, snout long, ears medium and held slightly forward.

NECK AND SHOULDERS: Neck medium, shoulders wide with heavy shield in the case of boars.

BACK: Short, level or sloping to rear.

TAIL: Long, straight or curly, hairy.

LEGS: Back legs smaller in height than front legs giving a slope to the back, more so in boars, pasterns low, with even toes.

COLOUR: Solid black ranging through to white with black spots.

SKIN: Skin thick and tough, good crop of hair with a woolly undercoat in winter when run outside.

SEXUAL CHARACTERISTICS: Sow to have teats to rear at least 8.
Boar masculine appearance, larger than sow, testicles (two) as even as possible.

TEMPERAMENT: Alert.

OBJECTIONS: Blind teats in sow, misfitting jaw.
Aggressive temperament.
Obvious cross-breeding.